Making Everyday Fun

One of my best memories from when I was a child was the days my Dad got off work early. I’d come home and find my stuffed dog "Fluffy" in some kind of mischief. He’d set up scenes with laundry baskets, ransom notes… It was always a fun surprise.

Fluffy and Monkey reminiscent of my childhood

 So last year when I was on bed rest and I allowed my boys to go to a birthday party without me for a good friend of ours (I am NEVER without my children), I was at home miserably lonely, missing them when I saw Fluffy laying on Andrew’s bed. I decided I wanted to leave my children those kinds of memories. So that afternoon I started my own tradition, similar but updated and adapted to our family! 

Monkey on the treadmill

I took Andrew’s "Monkey" and placed him in several mischievous situations and snapped pictures. When they got home I told them I was so tired because Monkey had been acting naughty all afternoon! They giggled and said "What do you mean?" so I showed them on my computer all the times I had "caught" Monkey being naughty! They thought it was great, and I printed the pictures to place in a small album that Andrew keeps on his bed. Since that day we’ve added many other pictures from when they were sleeping, or playing outside….

Monkey making cereal for breakfast
 

We also occasionally tell Curious George type stories about the time our family went on a field trip and Monkey climbed into the space ship at the museum and took a trip through space…. or when Monkey went with us to the grocery store and ate every single banana… The boys ask for these stories a lot more often than my imagination can come up with them, but they mean so much to them I love to do it!

What kind of memories are you making with your children?